Bomb threat disrupts first Caribbean Court of Justice sitting
by Stephen Cummings
Caribbean Net News Trinidad Correspondent
Tuesday, August 9, 2005
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad: A bomb threat
on Monday threatened to shut down legal proceedings on the first day's sitting
of the newly-inaugurated Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) in Port of Spain,
Trinidad. Employees had to be evacuated from
a nearby Unit Trust Corporation building located yards away from the court on
the corner of Richmond Street and Independence Square south Port of Spain.
Legal proceedings stalled for almost an hour, creating a state of confusion
among court staff. Later the CCJ's President, Michael de la Bastide, emerged
with an announcement apologising to legal officers for the situation and what
he termed was uncomfortable courtroom accommodation.
An anonymous caller reported that there was a bomb in the vicinity of the
court and the nearby Unit Trust building, rekindling memories of an explosion
on Monday, July11 on Frederick Street, which injured 15 people, two seriously.
This incident, the first of its kind in Trinidad, is still been investigated
by the authorities. The National Security Minister, Martin Joseph, and Police
Commissioner, Trevor Paul, have both so far denied that this was a terrorist
attack or an attack intended to cause terror.
In response to the bomb threat on Monday,
August 8, police who were called in to investigate later declared the area
around the court safe to resume proceedings.
The Trinidad and Tobago-based CCJ is hearing
its first case involving a couple who owned a chicken farm. They are claiming
they were forced to close their chicken business in Barbados because of
allegations of supplying bad quality chicken to customers. The case stems from
a libel suit in 1999 against a Barbados radio station which played a Calypso
making the allegation. Meanwhile, only
Barbados and Guyana have so far formally adopted the CCJ as their final
appellate court. Other Caribbean islands that have been approached are
currently experiencing legal hurdles in establishing the court as their final
court of appeal. Also, in its Trinidad and
Tobago Jurisdiction, the CCJ is currently structured to give interpretation to
the the Treaty of Chagaramas and to deal primarily with trade matters or
disputes, for example relative to the Caricom Single Market and Economy, the
CSME. The CCJ's framework is expected to be
broadened to hear other cases such as murder appeals, thus effectively cutting
ties with the London-based Privy Council as the final court of appeal.
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